The present field of invention concerns an apparatus for discharging inflammable gaseous vapor and thereafter igniting same for purposes of exterminating burrowing rodents. Other uses are later elaborated.
Known exterminating apparatuses typically rely on but one means for destroying the burrowing rodent, for example, in the prior art are devices for applying poisonous gas to the burrow while other exterminating apparatuses accomplish the deposit of poisonous granules into the burrow. As it is not uncommon for rodents to burrow a distance of 20 or 30 feet beneath the ground with several ground openings, the prior art systems for rodent extermination have proved to be something less than completely effective as they do not effectively reach the entire burrow.
Rodents are a serious threat to seedlings particularly in reforested areas. It is becoming increasingly important that certain types of rodents be controlled to avoid destruction to planted seedlings as the reforestation effort involves man-hour effort at substantial cost. Individual replacement of the seedling is necessary to achieve optimum log production of the reforested area. Further, burrowing rodents can impart damage to the terrain resulting in erosion which otherwise would not occur.